Universal joint.



W. S. WOGD,

UNIVERSAL OINT.

APPLICATION man ocT.1., 19u.

maman 5am. im

.L SLkFTQ-oHEET Inventar,

Wiinesses W. S. WOOD. UNWERSAL llNT.

APPLICAUON FILED f Patent/Ud Jan. 7, MHS.

2 SHEETS-SHET 2.

/n Venier,

, citizen of the United States, residing at the.

.aan r C WALTER S. WOOD, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, 1919.

Application led October 1, 1917. Serial No. 194,188.

.To all 'wwm t may concern:

. Be it known that I, VALTER S. Woon, a

city of Kalamazoo, county ofKalamazoo, and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful lniprovements in Universal Joints, ofwhich the following is a specication.

My invention relates to that class of universal joints for couplingsections of rotating shafts required to operate in variable angularpositions and consists, substantially of opposing engaging membersadapted to be suitably secured to the ends of said shaft sections andoperatively maintained in their true spherical alinement substantiallyat their spherical centers, for the purpose of reducing friction andconsequent wear of parts. v

The objects of my invention are: to provide in a universal joint similaropposing driving members adapted to engage with each other, or with acentral transmissiondisk common to botlnsaid partsbeing retained in truespherical alinement by means of opposing spherical cups within the in-`terior of said driving members, and a central spherical memberinterposed between said cups, and suitable means to retain said 'cups in.working Contact with said central spherical member, thereby greatlyreducing the friction and consequent wear lupon the n `rnoving-orworking parts of this class of yjoints. Other objects will be moredefinitely defined in the detailed description to follow. l accomplishthe objects of my invention hy the devices illustrated and meansdescribed in this specication and more definitely pointed out in theclaims.

Structures embodying the features of my invention are clearlyillustrated in the acconipaiiying drawings 'which forni a part of thisspecification, in which 'Figure l is a longitudinal section through myimproved joint taken on a line corre spending to line 1 l of ,Fig` 2.Fig.. 2 isjalv plan view of a portion ofFig. 11 with theA outside casingremoved., Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of one of the membersappearing.in Figs. l and 2.. Fig. 5 is a side elevati'o'n of thetransmission-disk and Fig. 6 is a section of same taken on line 6 G ofFig.

. Figs.. 7 and 8 are detail views of one of the driving membersappearing in Fig. l.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of one of the spherical engaging cups appearingin Fig. 1 and coupled together with my improved coupling, one end beingshown as a. rigid connection and the other as a' splined connection,vboth of which are well known and substantially as used in automobileconstruction. 2 2 are,h'ubs or coupling members to which said shaft endsare connected.

3 3 are opposing driving members rigidly secured to said hubs as shownin Fig. l. These driving members are identically alike,

either oftwhicli may be the driving or driven i member and each areprovided with a pair of engaging projections or driving jaws 4 4, asparticularly shown in Figs. 1,7 and 8.

Centrally located within the joint is a transmission-disk 5. slots oropenings 6, cut from its periphery at right angles to each other asvshown in Fig. 5 and are adapted to receive the projections or jaws 4 ofthe driving members 3. Each pair of jaws of said driving inembers areengaged with the two slots in said disk which are diametricallyopposite, so that the jaws of each driving member shall lie in planes atright angles to each other, which will permit the joint to operate withfreedom at varying shaft angles. Midway7 between the slots in theperiphery of said disk are inserted taper-head screws 7 as shown inFigs. 5 and 6. These screws are for the purpose of adjusting said slotsfor wear, the disk being slotted longitudinally with said screws, as at.8, shown in Figs. 5

and 6, which permits the parts each side of This disk has four me spmrcaim( easy eau E.

,f ammi: 1 ring portions 14 and w hifm ef to hc hub peli r 18. s 0i' mmande? i 10h 1s adapted T0 df) him s, 13m-STW? mi? sum member i8 um@ mef 'mi member iol with their projecting engaging members are identicallyalike and' engage directly with their opposing mate and when properlyshaped permit of similar varying shaft angles. The same centralspherical member and cups are used as in Fig. 1l and have the samefunctions.

While have illustrated and described my improved joint in its preferredconstruction, am aware that manv minor changes and iiiodilications inthe details ot' construction cali be made without departing from theessential features and functions of my invention.

Having thus illustrated and described my invention, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A universal joint comprising a pair of opposing'coupliiig members, adriving member provided with diaineti'ically opposite driving jawss'erured to euch of said coupling members, a transmission disk providedwith a plurality of slots and means for adjusting the saine, Said slotsbeingr adapted to operatively engage the jaws of said driving members, acentral spherical member secured to said transmission disk, a pair ofcup-shaped members secured to the interior of said driving` members andadapted to engage opposite sides of said splierical member, a pluralityof tension springs secured to the opposing coupling members to maintainthe opposing parts of the joint in their true spherical alinenient withsaid spherical member, a telescoping sphericallyshaped casing secured tosaid coupling members to exclude dust ariddirt and retaiii lubricant tothe interior parts, and means for inserting lubricant through saidcasing.

2. A universal joint comprisingr a pair of opposing coupling members, adriving member provided with dianietrically opposite driving jawssecured to each of said couplingl members, a disk provided with aplurality of slots adapted to operatively engage the jaws ot' saiddrivinpl members, a central spherical.member integral with said disk, apair ot' clip-shaped members se-,

driving niemi;v

cured to the interior of said bers ano adapted to engage opposite sidesof said spherical member, a plurality of tension springs secured to theopposing coupling members to maintain the opposing parts of the joint intrue spherical alinement with the central spherical member, atelescoping splicrically shaped casing .secured to the opposing couplingmembers to exclude dirt and retain lubricant to the interior members.

3.1%, universal joint of opposing coupling with diametrically a diskprovided with a plurality oi slots adapted to operatively. engage saiddriving jaws, a central spherical member integral comprising a pairiiieinbeis provided opposite drivingjaws. f

with said disk, a pair of cup-shaped membersl secured to said couplingrmembers and adapted to engage opposite sides of said spherical member, aplurality ot' springs lo maintain the opposingr parts ol the joint intrue spherical aliiieineiit with said spherical niciiibei', atelcscoping splicrically shaped casing. secured to the opposing couplingmembers to exclude dii-l and retain lub-ri` cant, for the purposcspecified.

e. A universal joint comprising a pairof opposing couplingr membersprovided with suitable opposing driving jaws, a central sphericalmember, a pair of cup-shaped members secured to said coupling membersand adapted to engage opposite sides of said spherical member, springs`to maintain the opposing members of the joint in true sphericalaliiiement with said spherical member, a telescoping splierically shapedcasing secured to the opposing coupling membeis to exclude dirt andretain lubricant, for the purpose specified.

5. A universal joint comprising a pair of opposing coupling members, adriving member provided with suitable driving jaws secured to each ofsaid coupling members, a transmission disk provided with suitable slotsadapted to operatively engage the jaws of said driving members, acentral spherical member secured to said disk, a pair or cup-shapedmembers secured to said riving members and adapted to engage oppositesides of said spherical member, suitable means for maintaining theopposingparts of the joint in their true spherical alinement with saidspherical member, a suitable telescoping casing secured to the couplingmembers, for the purpose specified.

of opposing coupling members provided with suitable driving jaws, atransmission disk provided with slots adapted to operatively engage saiddriving jaws, a central spherical member secured to said disk, a pair ofcup-shaped coupling members 6. A universal joint comprising a pair andadapted to engage opposite sides of said spherical member', and

suita le means for maintaining the opposing parts in triiesphericalalinement with said spherical member.

A universal joint comprising a pair of opposing coupling membersprovided with engaging driving jaws, a transmission disk` provided withslots adapted to operatively engage said jaws, a central sphericalmeinber secured to said disk, and suitable means of engagement betweensaid ycoupling members and said spherical member whereby said couplingmembers will be maintained in their true spherical alinement with saiddisk and with each other without the use of outer casings to engage saidcoupling members secured to said

